EDL (English Defence League)

[OriginalRobboFOX]

Had to shut my office on Charles Street today after council advice. Council wanted us to pay for the boarding up of our windows, fook that. I've already lost a days business over this glorified chimps tea party. Bollocks to it all.

[Zingari]

oh fook , all the tree huggers and candle wavers will be out as well now ;

piss off to aldermaston or wherever you scruffy layabouts

[leftsideoverhere]

Yeh. I dunno why people just can't ignore EDL and all these other groups. If they wanna march and protest, I'd say let them. Let them have a brawl with the police if they want to.

I've not dived in to this thread before - this is a football forum, and I tend to keep my politics somewhere else, but this is just wrong.

Never in history has a fascist group been beaten by ignoring it. And there's plenty of examples of "moderate, sensible people" and so on preaching that we should leave the fascists to it, who've gone on to be victims of vicious fascist regimes: Italy, Germany and Spain in the 30s all saw large scale middle-class press campaigns to ignore the growing fascist threat, and the result was that the fascists grew in confidence with each event they organised without challenge.

In Leicester today the EDL will be cock-a-hoop. The Home Secretary banned them from marching, they withdrew cooperation from the police, and the result is that they are suddenly being allowed to meet up in pubs along Hotel Street, and then be "escorted" across the market place and the town centre to Humberstone Gate. In everything except the name, they're being allowed to march through Leicester with a police escort.

There are many things wrong with the UAF - their tactics for confronting the EDL too often rely on asking someone else (usually the police) to 'ban' them, and attempting to appear more 'moderate' than the EDL in their demonstrations, a tactic which often fails due to the police being less sympathetic to a group seen as being "students and lefties". But the idea being presented in the media - and by a few people in this thread - that the fascists and the UAF are somehow just as bad as each other is utter nonsense. The EDL have picked cities for their rallies this year where there are large communities of muslims, specifically to target the muslims and make them feel vulnerable and unwelcome. Where they can get away with it, the EDL are perpetrating violence and damage against people and property they perceive to be 'muslim', or when they remember 'muslim fundamentalist'. But with a quick search on youtube you can find no end of evidence that the EDL perceive all muslims as legitimate targets.

This weekend the council, and others, have organised events yesterday and tomorrow trying to show that Leicester is "one Leicester" and that we all love each other. But today, their response to the EDL is effectively to board up the city centre and hide behind the police. I don't think that's good enough. We should be making damn clear to the EDL that they're not welcome in our city, and the sooner they are sent packing the better. If we all stay away, they'll have their little march and rally, and tell all their supporters that their hard-line response to the Home Secretary and the police has worked, that Leicester "welcomed" them, and that their next demonstration will be bigger than ever. I'm not prepared to let that happen unchallenged. And I hope I won't be the only one from FT who feels the same way.

[MikeyT]

Congregates at about 1400-1530ish at Humbo Gate

Cheers. Know when to not go to town now. Although was debating on going up to take photographs. Don't think i'm brave enough though.

[Zingari]

I've not dived in to this thread before - this is a football forum, and I tend to keep my politics somewhere else, but this is just wrong.

Never in history has a fascist group been beaten by ignoring it. And there's plenty of examples of "moderate, sensible people" and so on preaching that we should leave the fascists to it, who've gone on to be victims of vicious fascist regimes: Italy, Germany and Spain in the 30s all saw large scale middle-class press campaigns to ignore the growing fascist threat, and the result was that the fascists grew in confidence with each event they organised without challenge.

In Leicester today the EDL will be cock-a-hoop. The Home Secretary banned them from marching, they withdrew cooperation from the police, and the result is that they are suddenly being allowed to meet up in pubs along Hotel Street, and then be "escorted" across the market place and the town centre to Humberstone Gate. In everything except the name, they're being allowed to march through Leicester with a police escort.

There are many things wrong with the UAF - their tactics for confronting the EDL too often rely on asking someone else (usually the police) to 'ban' them, and attempting to appear more 'moderate' than the EDL in their demonstrations, a tactic which often fails due to the police being less sympathetic to a group seen as being "students and lefties". But the idea being presented in the media - and by a few people in this thread - that the fascists and the UAF are somehow just as bad as each other is utter nonsense. The EDL have picked cities for their rallies this year where there are large communities of muslims, specifically to target the muslims and make them feel vulnerable and unwelcome. Where they can get away with it, the EDL are perpetrating violence and damage against people and property they perceive to be 'muslim', or when they remember 'muslim fundamentalist'. But with a quick search on youtube you can find no end of evidence that the EDL perceive all muslims as legitimate targets.

This weekend the council, and others, have organised events yesterday and tomorrow trying to show that Leicester is "one Leicester" and that we all love each other. But today, their response to the EDL is effectively to board up the city centre and hide behind the police. I don't think that's good enough. We should be making damn clear to the EDL that they're not welcome in our city, and the sooner they are sent packing the better. If we all stay away, they'll have their little march and rally, and tell all their supporters that their hard-line response to the Home Secretary and the police has worked, that Leicester "welcomed" them, and that their next demonstration will be bigger than ever. I'm not prepared to let that happen unchallenged. And I hope I won't be the only one from FT who feels the same way.

Surely the same argument can be made by the EDL , that allowing islamic extremism in society , will eventually lead us into another Saudi Arabia

They are using the same argument that left unchallenged , Islam will become Islamo-nazi

[Guest Bilo]

Surely the same argument can be made by the EDL , that allowing islamic extremism in society , will eventually lead us into another Saudi Arabia

They are using the same argument that left unchallenged , Islam will become Islamo-nazi

But Islamic extremism isn't being ignored or tolerated. It's being challenged by the media, mainstream Islam and the authorities on a more or less daily basis.

[Zingari]

But Islamic extremism isn't being ignored or tolerated. It's being challenged by the media, mainstream Islam and the authorities on a more or less daily basis.

yes because ( in the present age ) it's been proven to be a greater threat to the security of the people

EDL to my knowledge have not committed any terrorist atrocities .

please don't assume i'm defending them though , rather trying to put the relevant threat of both into some sort of perspective

[Guest Bilo]

yes because ( in the present age ) it's been proven to be a greater threat to the security of the people

EDL to my knowledge have not committed any terrorist atrocities .

please don't assume i'm defending them though , rather trying to put the relevant threat of both into some sort of perspective

I fully understand your point but mine is the one made earlier by Finners and myself that Islamic extremism is being challenged by numerous parties, so what exactly is the point of the EDL's existence?

Unless of course it is to smear all Muslims as though they're some kind of malevolent force trying to force all women into burkas and behead every pub landlord.

The EDL may not have committed any terrorist atrocities but they regularly commit acts of violence against innocent Muslims on their travels and racially abuse Asians wherever they go. The BUF started in exactly the way in the 30s, enjoying the support of more than one branch of the media (including the morally wonderful Daily Mirror for a time) but were stopped in Cable Street and exposed for the vile rabble they were. Direct action is the best action against such a mentality.

[Spark]

GREEN ARMY!!!

Amen to that...

[davieG]

The EDL through their own choice are also very visible and identifiable thus making them an easier target to not ignore and to try to control / suppress.

[Raj]

With most of the force out policing this event(as well as PCSOs,Specials and Cops from other forces) hope the bad folk of Leicester are on their best behaviour knowing the friendly policeman wont be able to come out and arrest him/her!!!!

[Zingari]

I fully understand your point but mine is the one made earlier by Finners and myself that Islamic extremism is being challenged by numerous parties, so what exactly is the point of the EDL's existence?

Unless of course it is to smear all Muslims as though they're some kind of malevolent force trying to force all women into burkas and behead every pub landlord.

The EDL may not have committed any terrorist atrocities but they regularly commit acts of violence against innocent Muslims on their travels and racially abuse Asians wherever they go. The BUF started in exactly the way in the 30s, enjoying the support of more than one branch of the media (including the morally wonderful Daily Mirror for a time) but were stopped in Cable Street and exposed for the vile rabble they were. Direct action is the best action against such a mentality.

And i understand your point too

I was just referring to the earlier poster that seemed to assume that nothing was being done to stem the rise of extreme right wing political thought. because nothing could be further from the truth in British society.

If anything , (considering the relevant threats of both ) we are far less tolerant of right wing extremism than of Islamic extremism , because , (as with all other religions) , it is far easier to hide among the masses behind the religious cloak

I'm aware that these groups commit atrocities that are more insidious , but from whichever side of the fence I view them more or less the same . But one with the same old usual shield of piety , the other more exposed , as EDL do not have the same rogues refuge

[sw_fox]

What makes me really angry is that most of the demonstrators from the EDL will be coming from outside of Leicester.

What gives them the right to come to OUR city and criticise OUR Muslim community, which on the whole is well integrated and not leaning towards extremism?

fook off back to stoke and have a riot there, we are happy with our multiculturalism and makes our city the great city it is.

[LCFC-ARAB]

We have a radio at work that is used to connect all the pubs, shops and hotels etc together with the police

and it just came up on there that 3 mini buses full just dropped off a quite a few EDL people off at the weatherspoons in Harborough

they seem more inetersted in getting tanked than marching against extremists..... no suprise there then

[LCFC-ARAB]

Speaking of mini buses! that pisses me off

it's prefectly legal for these baboons to drink in mini buses on there way to places, but it's against the law for us normal football fans to do that

joke

[Fosse Boy]

We have a radio at work that is used to connect all the pubs, shops and hotels etc together with the police

and it just came up on there that 3 mini buses full just dropped off a quite a few EDL people off at the weatherspoons in Harborough

they seem more inetersted in getting tanked than marching against extremists..... no suprise there then

I'll pop on my anti-EDL pinnie and have a wander down I reckon. Racist scum? Not in my pub.

[Thracian]

The market must be some sight today. Thursday afternoon I was told there were just four stallholders booked in. If that's stayed the case I wonder how often in 700 years the notionally "main day" market has looked so sparse even in the worst of weather.

[sw_fox]

I'll pop on my anti-EDL pinnie and have a wander down I reckon. Racist scum? Not in my pub.

If I was working in a pub there I would definitely refuse service, on the count that they are racist scum and will DEFINITELY be causing trouble, especially after a few pints.

[Tilley]

They are not ALL racist scum. That is like saying all Muslims are extremists.

[lestajigs]

Well anyone who's against Muslim extremists good on them, oh RIP LINDA NORGROVE killed in Afghanistan a innocent British aid worker!

[sw_fox]

Well anyone who's against Muslim extremists good on them, oh RIP LINDA NORGROVE killed in Afghanistan a innocent British aid worker!

What has an innocent British Aid Worker got to do with an EDL march?

What has that got to do with the Muslims in our city?

Absolutely fook all.

I think you best go and get back to the march boy.

[Fox You Forest]

PCSOs

DANGEROUS TIGER will sort the ****ers out.

[lestajigs]

What has an innocent British Aid Worker got to do with an EDL march?

What has that got to do with the Muslims in our city?

Absolutely fook all.

I think you best go and get back to the march boy.

[lestajigs]

I'm as at much at the march as you are , making your little home bomb in your bedroom you share with your 15 sisters BOY

[sw_fox]

I'm as at much at the march as you are , making your little home bomb in your bedroom you share with your 15 sisters BOY

Jog on